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Southwest’s Airmageddon: What Happened? What do you get when you combine the busiest holiday travel season in years with a monumental winter storm? Chaos at most major airports—thanks largely to budget airline Southwest Airlines cancelling close to 16,000 flights since last week. So, what the heck happened? Frankly, it depends whom—and when—you ask.
Initial reports blamed the cancellations on Winter Storm Elliot, which truly wreaked havoc across much of the country: snow, wind, ice… the whole shebang. But later, sources came forward and said that Southwest’s “antiquated” scheduling system played an integral role in the airline’s service failure.
"We were fully staffed and prepared for the approaching holiday weekend when the severe weather swept across the continent …" Southwest said in a statement. However, Captain Mike Santoro, vice president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA), told Business Insider that while the winter storm was a "catalyst" for the disruptions, the company's "outdated" scheduling software created the snowball. In short, the system that tracks the company's pilots and flight attendants' whereabouts got so overloaded that it could not keep up, ultimately causing Southwest to cancel flights it could not staff.
As of the new year, Southwest’s service has largely been restored to normal, but the company is facing a long road ahead to rebuild its “love” with passengers, not to mention a proposed class action suit in a New Orleans court for not refunding passengers for their trouble.
Sources: CNN, Business Insider, Forbes
CDC Renews COVID Test Mandate for Travelers From China: After nearly three years of its so-called “COVID Zero” policy, the world’s second largest economy is experiencing a severe spread of the virus now that policies are being loosened. Effective January 5, the US government is requiring proof of a negative COVID test for all passengers ages two or older flying from greater China, Hong Kong, or Macau, as well as those traveling from China Incheon International Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport, or Vancouver International Airport. Passengers must present a negative test within two days of the flight, or show documentation of recovery if tested positive more than 10 days before the flight.
The CDC’s Acting Director for the Division of Global Migration and Quarantine Lisa Rotz said the testing is necessary because of “a veritable explosion in cases and transmission.” Rotz explained that since China has not experienced the same transmission level as in other parts of the world, a greater number of people there lack immunity.
Sources: Aviation International News, Reuters
Spending Bill Creates Assistant Secretary of Travel & Tourism: While most countries have ministers or secretaries of tourism, the US has never had a senior government official overseeing tourism strategy, despite being one of the top destinations for international tourism. This will soon change as the massive omnibus spending bill that was approved by Congress on Dec. 22 includes the creation of an assistant secretary of travel and tourism within the US Department of Commerce.
Representatives from the travel industry have been applauding the move. Case in point: American Society of Travel Advisors Executive Vice President for Advocacy Eben Peck, who said that creating a high-level leadership position within the federal government “would protect the industry from unnecessary setbacks due to conflicting and confusing policy decisions in the future.”
In addition, the bipartisan legislation, introduced by US Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), would formally authorize the US Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, collect data on domestic travel and tourism, mandate the development of a national travel and tourism strategy every 10 years, and report on the effects of the pandemic on the travel and tourism industry. This legislation has been widely endorsed by industry groups.
Sources: Travel Weekly, Rosen.Senate.gov
Move Aside, EVs, There’s a New Power in Town: Could hydrogen be the next big thing? OK, so hydrogen-powered vehicles aren’t exactly a new phenomenon, but they are gaining some renewed traction with selected manufacturers that are diversifying their offerings. OEMs worldwide are all competing for the resources needed to advance the widescale production of battery-powered vehicles, but range is still a sticking point for many—especially those in harsher climates where it’s impacted the most. BMW announced in December that it would be producing a hydrogen version of its iX5 sports activity vehicle for the European market, and more recently Toyota announced their version of a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle similar to the Corolla. Mercedes-Benz has been in an on-again, off-again relationship with it, while Cummins is developing it as an alternative to diesel. The fuel source is largely carbon neutral, although most current hydrogen is created using natural gas. The upside is that hydrogen-powered engines use many of the same components as traditional ICE engines, unlike EVs. The downside, however, is the availability of hydrogen fueling stations (mostly limited to California right now) and costly production of fuel cells. The march toward sustainability continues…
Sources: BMW media, Toyota media, Cummins media, moparinsiders.com
[01.02.23]
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The Consumer Electronics Show (CES), one of the biggest events dedicated to all things tech, doesn’t even open in Las Vegas until later this week, but it’s already creating a swarm of buzzy news stories that will likely impact our industry.
Volvo EX90 all-electric SUV exterior
There’s certainly plenty on the list to satiate your personal needs—think new smartphone, TV, and computer releases; anti-snoring pillows; health trackers that border on invasive; and everything you need for a smart home—but most interesting will be the announcements surrounding vehicle technology, a growing field for the show. The market is already flush with ideas, so you can expect big announcements from companies like Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, and Audi, to name a few.
Volvo EX90 all-electric SUV interior
Volvo is already grabbing headlines with the debut of its seven-seat EX90 all-electric SUV (range around 300 miles) on January 3, which the OEM is calling a “new era for safety” for the company. The sensor-rich vehicle, or what the OEM says is a “highly advanced computer on wheels,” is expected to be built in South Carolina starting later this year and is available for pre-order with an anticipated MSRP south of $80K. Volvo says it collaborated with some of the most advanced companies in their fields to deliver smarter, safer, more sustainable driving. The vehicle shown at CES features Google and Luminar displays.
Sony and Honda are also expected to show off the latest of their partnership (Sony Honda Mobility), which is rumored to be a crossover vehicle of some kind. The company says its on track to have a road-worthy offering by 2025, although the details are under wraps for now.
Mercedes-Benz has been touting its “Tech to Desire” theme for at least the past month, and is expected to announce more about its electrification strategy. According to a December press release from the OEM, they and their collaborators will also discuss automated driving features that give back time, and explain how new developments in in-car audio, streaming, and entertainment will generate customer excitement.
Although Stellantis, the parent company of Chrysler, is getting a lot of buzz about its Ram 1500 Revolution BEV Concept, they also promise updates with vehicles other than trucks. Previews are expected to include the first North American applications of new Stellantis connectivity and the introduction of the latest developments in its commitment to launch the first Chrysler battery electric vehicle in 2025 and offer a full battery electric portfolio in 2028.
Finally, Audi is promising a trippy new vehicle experience with its holoride technology, which blends real world impacts on the car with virtual reality and gaming. We’re not sure how this will benefit the industry yet, but it sure does sound cool.
The show gets started this Thursday, January 5 and runs through the 8th. We’ll be sure to pass along any groundbreaking new projects and tech that could be coming soon to a vehicle near you.
[01.03.23]
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Motor Coach Industries (MCI) has announced that it has delivered its first battery-electric J4500 coaches in North America, with two battery-electric, zero-emission J4500 CHARGE 45-foot coaches going to a California Bay Area operator.
MCI J4500 CHARGE zero-emission motorcoach
The battery-electric, zero-emission luxury coaches feature spacious interiors with industry-leading legroom and will complement clean-diesel models in the California Bay Area employee shuttle market. Technology companies in the Bay Area first introduced employee commuting in the late 1990s to offer alternative commuter options to supplement local public transportation.
“MCI is proud to deliver our first battery-electric J4500 CHARGE coaches to the Bay Area employee shuttle market,” said MCI Vice President, Sales and Marketing Brent Maitland. “This growing market continues to advance employee transportation, making commuter shuttle service even more environmentally friendly, inviting, and comfortable. The employee shuttle market is an excellent application for MCI's EVs as their range covers the length of the shuttle service routes and does not require a large amount of baggage bay space. MCI has rigorously tested J4500 CHARGE coach for this business segment throughout location in the US and Canada to ensure its high performance for our customers.”
Introduced in 2021, the J4500 CHARGE is a zero-emission version of the industry’s best-selling J series tour and charter luxury coach. Powered by American-made, high-energy batteries, the J4500 CHARGE leverages EV technology from New Flyer and delivers a range of over 230 miles (544 kWh) on a single charge.
All MCI battery-electric coaches incorporate advanced EV technology, including enhanced regeneration for energy recovery and greater efficiency, a smooth-riding suspension and a high-torque electric drive system for efficient performance at highway speeds. Designed for long-distance applications, MCI electric coaches deliver plug-in battery charging to 100 percent four hours or less.
NFI is a leader in zero-emission mobility, with electric vehicles operating (or on order) in more than 120 cities in six countries. NFI offers the widest range of zero-emission battery and fuel cell-electric buses and coaches, and its vehicles have completed over 85 million EV service miles.
Visit mcicoach.com for more information.
[01.03.23]